Rotary pump



E. FOWLER ROTARY PUMP March 20, 1945.

Filed May 17, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet I y w 4 March 20, 1945. FOWLER 2,372,076

-ROTARY PUMP Filed May 17, 1944 2 Sheets?-Sheet 2 1 NVENTOR. v219.47 fan/4'0? Patented Mar. 20, 1945 I Elbert Fowler, Mount Vernon, N. Y., assignor to Rogers Diesel & Aircraft Corporation, New

York, N. Y.

Application May 17, 1944, Serial No. 535,939

9 Claims. (01. 103-138) This invention relates to rotary pumps of the i type having a rotor. eccentrically mounted within a housing having'a generated bore, said rotor carrying blades arranged in intersecting di-v ametrically extending planes. The blades project outwardly from the rotor into engagement with the walls of the housing so as to carry fluid from. an inlet at one side to an outlet at the other side. Due to the eccentric mounting of the rotor with respect to the housing, the blades are alternately extended outwardlyfrom the rotor and withdrawn into the rotor. Heretoiore individual blades have been provided in the rotor with springs located behind them to force them outwardly in their slots formed in the rotor. Each blade was thus operated independently ofall the other blades. Such a construction is known as the independent blade type, but this type is subject to the objection that difiiculties are encountered due to the gumminess of the oil in cold weather startin and due to the accumulation of sludge which causes sticking of the, blades within their slots. Thus, it was frequently found that a blade stuck in its slot and was not projected fullyoutwardly into engagement with the housing wall, and it was only after the cam surface of the housing was encountered, which operated to force the blade inwardly, that such blade was moved. Hence, it was necessary to employ strong springs suiiicient to. overcome the gumminess of the oil and the tendency of the blades to stick, but such strength of springs resulted in too much rubbing friction between the rockers at the outer ends ofthe blades and the wall of the bore, that is, the-inside of the housing or the housing liner. Still another objection to these independent blades was inherent in the fact that the short length of blade within the rotor gave a very small spread or bearing surface with which to oppose the torsional effect arising during ro-- tation of the rotor, and this caused rocking movement ofthe blade with consequent pinching and wearing action.

vided which overcamehnytendency to stick, and obviated the necessity of employing springs. Furthermore, the through-vane provided a large spread or bearing surface withinthe rotor which resulted in less rocking movement than when independent blades were employed, with consequent less tendency'to pinch, and less wearing action.

However, in constructing the through-vane type, several difliculties were encountered. It was proposed originally to have the members which extend diametrically inwardly from the opposite blades joined by screws extending through each of the diametric members from one blade and-into the cooperating diametrically extending members from the other blade. The screws did not provide sufficient rigidity, and therefore there was a. tendency of these diametric members to bend, with consequent pinching effeet and wearing of the blades in the slots. These effects were not as great as when independent blades were employed, but they were sufficient to be undesirable. Furthermore, the screws, in spite of any mechanism which could be employed to prevent their becoming slack, nevertheless tended to loosen, and rubbed against-the under side of the rockers, thus burring and scuiiing up the rockers. f

A further disadvantage in this construction resided in the fact that thick blades and connecting members were necessary in order to ac-] commodate screws of suflicient strength to fasten the members together. be appreciated when it is understood that asthe blades discharge the fluid through the discharge port, the camming action withdraws these blades chamber, and thus reducesthe pressure at the In an attempt to solve the difficulties inherent in the independent blade type of pump, it has been proposed to employ the type known as through-vanes, wherein a, single member ex- .tended diametrically across the rotor and carried ablade at each end. This solved certain problems which were-inherent in, the independent blade type in' that a positive force was imparted to both blades whenever either one of them en'- g'aged the bore, and since at least one would necessarily be in engagementv with the bore, a

greater the drop in pressure.

discharge end. The thicker the blade, the larger will be the increase in volume, and hence the This resultsin fluctuations in the discharge of the fluid with variations in pumpv pressure, and hence generation of a pulsating discharge; Since amajor object of these pumps is to obtain as near to pulsationless discharge as possible, it will-be seen that anarrow blade is'highly desirable so as not to reduce the pressure substantially when the blade is drawn into the rotor'at the discharge end. This precludes the use of screws. I

To remedy the objections arising from the construction of=through-vanes as described above,

it has been proposed to form these through-vanes of unitary members, thus obviating the necessity positive moving or unlocking action was PIC? 66 for employing screws. However, there then arises This disadvantage will the problem of inserting one through-vane within the other through-vane so as to permit the necessary radial movement of each vane relative to the other. Forthis purpose, it has been proposed to form one of the through-vanes as a frame having a completely enclosed central rectangular opening, and to form the other vane 01 a modified H-type which is then hooked into this opening, and after being swung into position, is moved axially of the rotor until it, assumes its operating position. The disadvantage of this is that it requires extending the slots of at least one of these members through the ends of the rotor and through the end plates where the rotor employs such end plates. rotor must be sealed at its end races, which is an operation requiring precision lapping. If there were no openings in the end faces of the rotor, the rotor could be sealed circumferentially adjacent its ends, and this is a relatively cheap grinding operation.

Applicant therefore has for his principal obiect to provide a rotary pump or the throughvane type which shall be free of all or the objections set forth hereinbefore. Not only does, he provide vanes 01 the through type and thus avoids all of the objections inherent in the type employing a plurality of independent blades, but he provides through-vanes which may be assembled one within the other, allowing for radial movement of each through-vane relative to the other, without necessitating the rotation of one vane in a plane which passes through the axis of the rotor, and therefore without necessitating openings in the rotor ends or the rotor end walls.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent in the following detailed description thereof. .7

In the accompanying drawings,

1 is a view, partly sectioned vertically, 1 showing a rotary pump constructed according to myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken through the pump substantially on the line 2-2 01 Fig. 1, and showing the intersecting through Figs. 3-A, 3B and 3-0 are a disassembled view or the through-vanes and one of the rockers, shown in perspective.

Figs. 4-A, 4-3, 4C, 4-D and 4-13 are front rotor I2 isfixed to a driving shaft" which may be driven by any suitable means, as for instance, a belt-and-pulleymechanism l6 which is driven from any suitable source of power such as an electric motor or internal combustion engine.

- The rotor I2 may be provided with pairs of radial slots 20, 2l and 2 2, il-disposed at diametrically opposite points, and within said slots operate through-vanes V and V. Vane V comprises blades 2| and 2! and connecting members 24' and 25'. Vane 'V' comprises members 52, i3 and N iorming at their ends blades 28 21, ,While two sets or diametrically opposed slots have been shown 90'? displaced from each other circmnierentially of the rotor, it will be understood that more: than two such sets of slots may e cm- This means that the plowed, such as, for example, three sets displaced 60.

The casing ll may be provided with a generated bore 30 of lesser axial length than the' interior of the housing, and the blades 24, and 26, 21 may have the same axial length as the bore 38, less clearance. The axial length of rotor I2 being greater than the axial length of the blades 24, 25 and 26, 21, there are therefore formed cylindrical surfaces 32 on said rotor spaced from concentric cylindrical surfaces, formed within the hollow casing H which is of greater axial length than rotor 12. The space between surfaces 32 and 33 is filled with oil to form oil seals 34. On the inner surface of bore 3|! operate 7 rocker members 38 in the outer ends of the vanes.

I rotor within the bore 30, the blades 24, 25 and been drawn in during the period of expansion oi elevations showing diagrammatically thesteps of 7 By reason of the eccentric mounting of'the 28, 2'! will move alternately outwardly and then inwardly in the course of each revolution of the rotor. During the outward movement of each blade there is formed between the blade, the rotor and the bore of the casing, a continuously'expand lng chamber cooperating with the intake port 48. After the blade has passed the port 40, there will be trapped in chamber 45 the fluid whichhas the chamber and its cooperation with the inlet port. During the next half revolution of the rotor, the trapped fluid is discharged throughthe discharge port ll.

As stated in the introduction hereto, the vanes V and V are of thethrough-vane type. That isvanes, as for instance, the through-vanes V as shown inf-lg. 3-A in the form of a frame comprising the end members or blades 24, 25, and diametrically extending'connecting members 24', 25', all in the form of a. rectangle having a rectangular opening 50. The other through-vane member V' must pass through the opening 5|! so that it can move freely therethrough diametrically of the rotor, and at the same time permit the through-vane V to move diametrically and freely with respect to member V. For this purpose I form the through-vane member V not of a single piece, but of a plurality of. members indicated at 52, 52 and 54. Each member, 52 and S3 is in the form of a U-shaped member, the arms of which are designed to face the respective connecting member 26', 25', while the middle member is a spacer or filler member, designed to fill out the space between members 52 and 52'.

after they have been placed in position. Thus,

referring to Fig. 4--A, it will be seen that member- 52 can readily be inserted in position within the'opening rectilinearly in a diametric direction without rotation in the plane of the rotor axis, and 'then moved aidally to the'position engages connecting member 25'. There now remains the space between said members into which is inserted the member II having a shape exactly filling the space between backs of the U-shaped members 52 and 53. The ends. of the members 52, 53 and .54 are designed toreceive a rocker 36 which, when the rotor is positioned within the casing, will engage the bore 30, and thus hold the members in position against movement relative to each other diametrically. Since the total axial length of members 52, 53 and 54 is equal to the axial 1ength,'less clearance, of the slot 22 or 23 in which they operate, theywill be held against axial displacement. The axial length of the backs of members 52 and 53 plus the axial length of member 54 is equal to the axial length of slot 50, less clearance, and thus will be further held against axial displacement. It will be understood that the axial length of the back of member 52 or the back of member 53, plus the axial length of the arm of U-shaped member 53 or 52, respectively, is less than the axial length of slot 50 as shown in Fig. 4-0. This permits the other U-shaped member to be inserted after one U-shaped member has been positioned.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have herein described the principleand operationoi my invention, together with the' apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire -to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other equivalent means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combination and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted withu out interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vane-type rotary pump, a housing having achamber therein, an inlet passage and a discharge passage communicating with said ing a chamber therein,- an inlet passage and a discharge passage communicating with said chamber, a rotor mounted for rotation in said chamber, said rotor having a plurality of sets of axially-disposed slots, one set of slots being angularly displaced relative to the other set of slots circumferentially of the rotor, the slots of each set being positioned diametrically opposite each other, a through-vane extending through each set of slots and having a blade at each end, one

' ders, and the other vane extending through the opening of the first vane and comprising a plurality of separate units arranged contiguously, each unit extending in a direction transverse to the axis of rotation of the first vane the total axial length of the parts of the units which extend through the opening in said first vane being substantially equal to the axial length of said opening less clearance.

4. In a vane-type rotary pump, a housing having a chamber therein, an inlet passage and a discharge passage communicating with said chamber, a rotor mounted for rotation in said chamber, said rotor having a plurality, of sets of axially-disposed slots, one set of slots being angularly displaced relative to the other set of slots circumferentially of the rotor, the slots of each 'set being positioned diametrically opposite each chamber, a rotor mounted for rotation in said chamber, said rotor having a plurality of sets of axially-disposed slots, one set of slots being angularly-displaced relative to the other set of slots circumferentially of the rotor, the slots of each set being positioned diametrically opposite each other, a through-vane extending through each set of slots, and having a blade at each end, one of said vanes having an opening within its borders, and the other vane extending through the opening of the first vane and comprising a plurality of separate units, each unit extending in a direction transverse to the axis of rotation of the first vane.

2. In a vane-type rotary pump, a housing having a chamber therein, an inlet passage and a discharge passage communicating with said chamber, a rotor mounted for rotation in said chamber, said rotor having a plurality of sets of axially-disposed slots, one set of slots'being angfilarly displaced relative to the other set of slots circumferentially or the rotor, the slots of each set being positioned diametrically opposite each other, a through-vane extending through each set of slots and having -a blade at each end, one of said vanes having an opening within its borders, and the other vane extending through the opening or the first vane and comprising a plurality other, a through-vane extending through each set of slots and having a blade at each end, one of saidvanes having an opening within its borders, and the other vane extending through the opening ofthe first vane and comprising a plurality of separate units arranged contiguously, each unit extending in a direction transverse to the axis of rotation of the first vane the total axial length of the parts of the units which extend through the slots being substantially equal to the axial length of the slots less clearance, and the total axial length of the parts of the units which extend through the opening in said first vane being substantially equal to the axial length of said opening less clearance.

5. Ina vane-type rotary pump, ahousing having a chamber therein, an inlet passage and a -discharge passage communicating with said of separate units arranged contiguously, each unit extending in adirection transverse to the axis of rotation of the first vane the total axial length of the parts or the units which extend through the slots being substantially equal to th axial length of the slots less clearance. 3. In a vane-type rotary pump, a housing havchamber, a rotor mounted for rotation in said chamber, said rotor having a, plurality of sets of axially-disposed slots, one set of slots being angularly displaced relative to the other set of slots circumferentially of the rotor, the slots of each set being positioned diametrically opposite each other, a through-vane extending through each set of slots and having a blade at each end, one ofsald vanes having a rectangular opening wholly within its borders to form a framework comprising blade. members connected by diametrically extending connecting members, theother vane extending through said opening and comprising a'plurality of contiguous units, the outside units being substantially U facing the respective connecting member, of said framework, the inside unit being adapted to fill the space between the backs of the U-shaped units;

6. In a vane-type rotary pump; a housing having a chamber therein, an inlet passage and a discharge passage communicating with said chamber, a rotor mounted for rotation in said chamber, said rotor having a plurality of sets of axially-disposed slots. one set of slots being angularly displaced relative to the other set of slots circumferentially of the each set being positioned diametrically opposite of said vanes having an opening within its bor-' U-shaped, the arms of each rotor, the slots of each other, a through-vaneextending through each set of slots and having a blade at each end, one of said vanes having a rectangmar opening wholly within its borders to form a framework comprising blade members connected by diametrically extending connecting members, the other vane extending through said opening and comprising a plurality of contiguous units, the outside units being substantially U-shaped, the arms of each U facing the respective connecting member of said framework, the inside unit being substantiaily rectangular and adapted to fill the space between the backs of the U-shaped units.

7. In a vane-type rotary pump, a housing hav ing a chamber therein, an inlet passage and a discharge passage communicating with said chamber, a rotor mountedv for rotation in' said inga chamber therein, an inlet passage and a other vane extending through said opening and comprising a plurality of contiguousunits, the

outside units being substantially U-shaped, the arms of each U facing the respective connecting member of said framework, theinside unit being adapted to fill the space between the backs of the U-shaped units, the total axial length of the parts of said units which extend through the opening being substantially equal to the axial length of said opening less clearance, and the total axial length of the parts of said units which extend through the slots being substantially equal,

to the axial length of the slots less clearance.

8. In a vane-type rotary pump, a housing havdischarge passage communicating with said chamber, a rotor mounted for rotation in said chamber, said rotor having a plurality of sets 'of axially-disposed slots, one set of slots being angularly displaced relative to the other set of slots circumferentially of the rotor, the slots of each set being positioned diametrically opposite each other, a through-vane extending through each set of slots and having a blade at each end, one of said vanes having a rectangular opening wholly within its borders to form aframework comprising blade members connected by diametrically extending connecting members, the other vane extending through said opening and comprising a plurality of contiguous units, the out-- side units being substantially U-shaped, the arms of each U facing the respective connecting member of said framework, the inside unit being adapted to fill the space between the backs of the U-shaped units, the axial lengths of the arms of each U-shaped unit plus the axial length of the backs of each unit being less than the axial length of the slots through which they extend.

9. In a. vane-type rotary ump, a housing having a chamber therein, an inlet passage and a discharge passage communicating with said chamber, a rotor mounted for rotation in said chamber, said rotor having a, plurality of sets of axially-disposed slots, one set of slots being angularly displaced relative to the other set of slots circumferentially of the rotor, the slots of each set being positioned diametrically opposite each other, a through-vane extending through each set of'slots and having a blade at each end,

one of said vanes having an opening within its borders, and the other vane extending through the opening of the first vane and comprising a plurality of separate units, rockers between each blade and the chamber wall, all of said units engaging a single rocker at each end of the units. 

